I made this cake for my beloved for his birthday when our orange tree was in full fruit. He has been faithfully caring for this tree since it was planted in 2001. The horticulturist we hired from the San Diego Zoo did an amazing job of choosing plants for our yard. When he asked if we wanted fresh orange juice for Christmas I said, yes, we would like that very much. When I was growing up in Cleveland in the 60s and Connecticult in the 70s, fresh oranges weren’t available year round. I don’t ever remember us having them, except when someone sent my dad a box as a holiday gift. They seemed like the height of exoticism, a fruit all the way from Florida, bursting with juice and flavor and sunshine. For years I lived in cold places, thinking it was my lot in life, my cross to bear (yes, I grew up Lutheran). Finally I started to heal and envision what life I actually wanted for myself, and found myself looking longingly at the gardening magazines any time they featured California landscapes: huge spiky agaves and sturdy rosemary bushes and fragrant lavender and sweet citrus. Was it actually possible to live somewhere that citrus grew? It look me a long time to decide that I deserved that. It took nearly two years to find a job out here. That I might buy a small Spanish-style bungalow of my own, not just tear out a photo to dream on. That California wasn’t for other people, it could also be for me. I don’t know what your California is, but I believe that you deserve it. And I hope that you find it as sweet as this almond-orange cake made from oranges we grew in our yard, and frosting blended with butter and sugar and cream cheese. And that your neighbors will loan you the 3 6-inch pans to make it look special for a pandemic birthday. Because you do. We all do. And yes, you’ll find the recipe through the link in my bio. #GratitudeDaily #GratitudePractice #Gratitude30 #GratitudeJournaling #PresentMoment #PresentMomentAwareness #MindfulnessPractice #MindfulnessMoment #ForgivenessHeals #ForgivenessIsFreedom #ReleasingTrauma #TraumaHealing #TraumaRecovery #ReleaseThePast #JoySpotting #SmallMomentsOfJoy https://www.instagram.com/p/CMfbBupB9bT/?igshid=3iilea411lcq